More than 100 Paras and Gurkhas fought with poles, bats and heavy machine-gun barrels as a training exercise exploded into mayhem
Sources claim the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment had been 'winding' the Gurkhas up throughout the training exercise
MORE than 100 Paras and Gurkhas fought with poles, bats and heavy machine-gun barrels as a training exercise exploded into mayhem.
The Royal Gurkha Rifles — motto: Better to die than to be a coward — were playing the role of an enemy and hid the cudgels for an ambush.
They lashed out as troops from 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment launched their final assault of the eight-week exercise.
The Paras — motto: Ready for Anything — grabbed spare heavy machine-gun barrels to hit back.
Scores were injured. An insider said: “It was like a scene from a football hooligan film. Soldiers were fighting using rifles and spare general purpose machine gun barrels as clubs.
“A few of the guys were hospitalised, and there aren’t many without a bruise or gash.”
Sources said there had been bad blood between the units since a brawl when they faced each other on the same exercise at Archer’s Post base in Nanyuki, Kenya, two years ago.
The insider added: “On this exercise the Paras had been winding the Gurkhas up throughout.
“I’m not sure who you’d declare the winners, the Gurkhas used surprise well so they may have clinched it.”
One Army source tried to play down Thursday’s battle during Exercise Askari Storm, saying: “These are two of the most elite infantry units in the world training intensely.
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“Things can boil over. They are soldiers — they fight.”
An Army spokesman said: “We can confirm that there was an incident involving soldiers during a training exercise in Kenya.
“This is under investigation by the Royal Military Police and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”